‘Connected’ Homes are the New Standard

For most home shoppers, owning a smart home is no longer a dream — it’s an expectation.

Particularly among younger generations who have lived most of their lives in the digital era, staying “connected” is a way of life. So it’s no surprise they want their homes to be connected, too.

“Home automation has become significantly more pervasive in recent years,” says Grayling Love, product line manager at Eaton, a member of NAHB’s Leading Suppliers Council. “We’ve reached a point where the majority of consumers aren’t only willing to invest in it, but they’re expecting their next home to be connected.”

Later this week during NAHB’s Midyear Board Meeting, Love will lead an in-depth discussion on the emerging trends in connected-home technology. In addition to covering current trends and consumer expectations, his Thursday morning session will review integration solutions for a wide variety of products in the market.

Increased competition among product manufacturers is resulting in lower prices, making it more feasible for consumers to afford those smart-home products — and more of them. Rather than just buying one or two smart products, they’re buying several and connecting them all through one device.

That “middle ground,” as Love calls it, is where the majority of the smart-home market is trending: The segment between having one standalone solution like automated lights, and owning a high-end home with every automated feature imaginable — living in a home with multiple connected devices is where most of today’s buyers (realistically) want to be.

“More people are seeing the long-term ROI of these products and are willing to pay a premium for them,” says Love, who has been working in the technology and connected-product industries for that past 10 years. “Plus, new cases are continually emerging for smart technology in the home, particularly among older consumers for whom the convenience factor is huge.”

A former offensive lineman for the Arizona State Sun Devils and Pittsburgh Steelers, Grayling Love now specializes in smart-home technology.

Love notes that while younger consumers have been quick to embrace the connected home concept, seniors and baby boomers aren’t far behind.

“When product manufacturers effectively address concerns about convenience, security and safety, consumers really latch on to that notion of added value and see the connected home as a smart investment,” he says.

Love’s presentation, “The Connected Home: Trends and Technologies Shaping the Way We Live,” will take place from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in room Washington 4, exhibition level of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel. All builder members are welcome to attend.